Maltitol in chocolate and digestive comfort in children
What it found
In children, maltitol chocolate caused some small increases in gut symptoms, mainly gas, compared with sucrose chocolate.
The symptoms stayed mild, and the authors say maltitol was well tolerated at 15 g in one sitting.
What they found
Studies in people
Gut symptoms compared
Some differences in intestinal measures appeared in the maltitol group compared with the placebo group, mainly in flatulence scores. These scores stayed low and were considered minor.
Tolerance at 15 g
The authors say maltitol was well tolerated in children at 15 g in one intake.
Other findings
Taste comparison
The study also set out to compare the taste properties of maltitol and sucrose in chocolate.
What the authors conclude
“Our results suggest that maltitol was well tolerated in children at 15 g in one intake.”
Also in their conclusions
- They suggest that maltitol was well tolerated in children at 15 g in one intake.
- Their results indicate that the digestive scores in the maltitol group remained low and could be considered minor.
How it was done
Maltitol is used in food because of its technological and nutritional properties, including being non-acidogenic and low in energy. The authors wanted to check how well children digest it.
Healthy children took part in a double-blind, randomised parallel study against a placebo. Each child ate one dose of either maltitol or sucrose chocolate per week, with maltitol doses increasing from 5 to 15 g. They rated abdominal pain, rumbling, bloating and flatulence on visual analog scales.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This was a short-term study, so it cannot show what happens with longer use.
- It only looked at children eating chocolate, so the results may not apply to other foods or other age groups.
The paper
- Title
- Short-term digestive tolerance of chocolate formulated with maltitol in children
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Thabuis C, Cazaubiel M, Pichelin M, Wils D, Guerin-Deremaux L (2010). Short-term digestive tolerance of chocolate formulated with maltitol in children. International journal of food sciences and nutrition. doi:10.3109/09637481003766812PubMed 20465435DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error